Transfer news live: Man City close on Semenyo, Salah exit update, Guehi to Liverpool latest

Enzo Maresca will need a sharp turnaround of results to keep his job at Chelsea, according to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol.

Maresca, who guided Chelsea to the Club World Cup and Conference League last season, has experienced a sharp drop-off in results over the past month, overseeing just one win their last seven league outings to fall out of the Premier League top four.

This has coincided with troubled waters behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge, with Maresca causing a stir when, following a routine win over Everton on 13 December, he used his post-match press conference to claim he had endured “the worst 48 hours since I joined the club” in the build-up to the game.

After surrendering another lead in the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth, it’s now believed January will be a defining month for Maresca which includes nine games across four competitions.

The Standard note there has been talk of sending Ethan Nwaneri out on loan, with the 18-year-old having only started three matches this season.

Italian media have reported that the Gunners are heavily interested in Juventus star Kenan Yildiz. The 20-year-old Turkish international is one of the most exciting young attacking players in Europe but is reported to be stalling over a contract extension in Turin, leading to many continental heavyweights such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid to circle.

The likes of Bayern Munich superstar Michael Olise, AC Milan winger Rafael Leao and wantaway Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi - who Bild report wants to move to a metropolis to appease his girlfriend - have also appeared in Arsenal gossip columns, though nothing concrete has emerged surrounding these rumours as of yet.

Defensive quartet Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera were all unavailable for Arsenal's nervy win over Brighton on Saturday, and Arteta could therefore look to reinforce his back line, with Sky Sports adding that AC Milan’s 20-year-old left-back Davide Bartesaghi has been scouted, a player that has been compared to Paolo Maldini.

Arsenal are constantly looking at the European market for young players with a high ceiling so would be more likely to acquire players that fall under that category. The Gunners also have a “concrete interest” in highly-rated Eintracht Frankfurt forward Jean-Matteo Bahoya, according to Florian Plettenberg, while also sending scouts to watch Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza.

Mounting injuries may force Arsenal to dip into the January transfer market as they look to keep up the pace in their Premier League title charge.

The Gunners go into the new year at the top of the pile but will know all too well that such a position does not guarantee success come May, with Pep Guardiola’s revitalised Manchester City breathing down their necks.

And with injuries not letting up, with Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori the latest to be sidelined, new recruits could come to boost the league leaders ahead of a crucial second half of the season.

When asked if Arteta has space in his squad for new signings, he said: "Depending, as I said, on the availability of certain players. The window is there. We're Arsenal. Now, we have to be looking at it.”

Relegation-threatened West Ham will look to strengthen in January, with manager Nuno Espirito Santo saying he has a “clear idea” of what the club needs - and “the sooner the better”.

Youngsters Oliver Scarles and Freddie Potts featured on Sunday against Brighton, with untried 18-year-old Ezra Mayers and Mohamadou Kante, 20, coming on as substitutes.

“I am pleased for the young players, because they're helping,” Nuno said.

“But it's also clear that, in terms of squad, we need to rebalance our squad. We need to make the right moves in a very difficult transfer window to operate.

“But we need to, so we can improve and have more options for the second half of the season.

“I have a clear idea about everything. I have a clear idea, because this is our job. It's up to us to pass information to the club, so the club is aware of what we need.

“It's coming in a couple of days. The reflection is clear, so the sooner the better.”

Another Liverpool player is unlikely to have his future resolved.

Harvey Elliott, currently struggling for game time on loan at Aston Villa, is unlikely to return to Anfield after Slot’s concise summary of the Reds’s stance.

“No, Harvey is an Aston Villa player and he is supposed to be going there for a season. So, questions about him, the best thing to ask is Aston Villa - they are doing really well, by the way.”

Brentford forward Igor Thiago, after his blazing start to the season with the Bees with 11 goals in 17 Premier League games, and PSG’s Bradley Barcola are names that have floated around recent gossip columns, though neither move has accelerated or gathered pace just yet.

Isak’s injury has also prompted reports of interest in various strikers, with PSG’s Goncalo Ramos, Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic and England international Ivan Toney named as potential short-term solutions, but nothing concrete has been established.

Mohamed Salah’s future will need to be settled, though the Egypt star will complete his time at the Afcon 2025 with the Pharaohs before returning to Anfield next month.

Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson will similarly go into the January window amid uncertainty, with both entering the final six months of their current contracts.

Liverpool remain committed to extending Konate’s deal but will not budge from their existing wage structure, according to Sky Sports.

Arne Slot does not seem in a rush to jump back into the transfer market amid long-term injuries to the likes of Alexander Isak and Giovanni Leoni.

“If you bring in a lot of new players and a lot of players leave usually – at least if I do my job well – they will play better football the longer they are here and when they have more training time and playing time,” Slot said.

“If you add players to what you have, there is a serious chance of improving. If you replace, like we have done, then it takes time and usually it gets better after a certain period of time.”